Dec 22, 2015 11:48 AM EST By Russell Westerholm, UniversityHerald Reporter

With conference play in the college basketball season starting soon, the NCAA appears pleased with the various rule changes it made during the offseason to encourage offense and pace-of-play.

According to ESPN, the average points per game and per possession have increased from this point of the season a year ago. Meanwhile, fouls have only increased slightly, indicating the new rules and officiating initiatives are working as intended.

"It's a positive, but we've got to carry it forward," J.D. Collins, the NCAA's new coordinator of officials, told ESPN. "By and large, coaches have adjusted.

"But there are still some games with 45 fouls and 60 free throws."

In June, the NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel shortened the basketball shot clock from 45 seconds to 30 seconds, as well as officiating directives to allow for more physical play. The panel also reduced coaches' timeouts that carry over from the first to the second half from four to three and prevented them from calling timeouts during live ball play.

Six weeks into the season, the AP Top 25 has seen plenty of movement thanks to upsets normally reserved for March Madness, adding some excitement to nonconference play. Also livening things up is that only five teams currently ranked are undefeated: Michigan State (1), Oklahoma (3), Xavier (6), SMU (18), and South Carolina (25). This time last season, the top five teams in the poll were undefeated.

"The key is we need to make progress each year. We can't have slippage in January or February this year," Collins told ESPN. "As I continue to say, I'm cautiously optimistic.

"The reason I say that is because there are so many variables. Conference play is starting, and we have to do our part. I'm optimistic, but I'm a realist, too."

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